Fowl-boot.



M. G. VIUELLER.

FDWL BOOT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. |916.

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FFME.

MATHIAS Gr. MUELLER, 0F COLONIE, SOUTI-IDAKOTA.

FOWL-BOOT.

Application filed April 12, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MATHIAs G. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colome. in the county of Tripp and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FowLBoots, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fowl boot and the primary object is to provide a boot that may be attached to the leg of the fowl for preventing the fowl from assuming a sitting position and at the same time allowing free movement of the legs for scratching, walking or roosting.

The invention also aims to provide a boot that may be constructed of thin metal and attached to the leg o-f a fowl for limiting or restricting the bending movement of the leg of the fowl thus breaking the fowl of an inclination to sit on the eggs which it lays.

An object of the invention is to construct the device in a manner that will obviate the possibility of fowls jumping over barn-yard or poultry-yard fences, the device preventing the fowls from Crouching to assume a springing position.

.as a further object of the invention the device contemplates the provision of means for lengthening the shank portion of the boot whereby the boot may be used for different sizes of fowls.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a fowl boot which consists of comparatively few parts and is simple in` construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings,

wherein is illustrated the preferred formof my invention, in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the device applied to the leg of a fowl. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig.. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The device consists of the thigh boot 1 and the shank bo-ot 2, both being constructed of thin light metal such as aluminum. The thigh boot 1 fastens around the thigh of the leg of the fowl by a strap 3 which is fastened to a button 4 carried by one side of the thigh boot 1. At each side of the thigh Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, v119116.

sei-iai No. 90,725.

boot and depending from the lower end thereof is a pair of ears 5 which are provided with central apertures 6 for receiving a hinge pin 7. It will be observed that the rear of the boot 1 is openvand, in applying the device to the leg of the fowl, the boot, being o-f comparatively thin material, may be sprung Open to insert the leg of the fowl.

The shank boot 2 is designed to partially surround the shank of the leg of the fowl and the upper end is provided with ears 8 which are provided with central apertures for receiving one end of one of the hinge pins 7. For limiting the backward swinging movement of the shank boot 2, I provide the upper edges of the shank boot with ianges 9 which are bent over the ears 5 of the thigh boot 1 as indicated by Fig. 3 of the drawing.

A strap 10 has one end secured to one side of the thigh boot 2 and the free end of the y strap is provided with apertures for engaging the fastening button 11 whereby the shank boot may be fastened snugly to the shank of the fowl.

The lower end of the shank boot 2 has adjustably mounted thereon the extension sleeve 12 and the shank boot 2 has struckout portions adjacent each edge thereto to provide fastening shanks 13 which extend through a longitudinal slot 11 in the sleeve 12. The sleeve 12 is thereby free to be moved up or down for extending the length of the shank boot 2 in the event of it being necessary tcattach it to a fowl having longer or shorter legs. For fixing the sleeve in adjusted position, I provide the inner face of the boot adjacent the lower end thereof with a struck-out portion 15 which is adapted to register with one of a plurality of struck-out portions 16 formed in the front of the sleeve 12. The struck-out portion 15 may be moved into one of the struck-out portions 16 thereby fixing the sleeve 12 in the desired adjusted position.

Mounted on one side of the sleeve 12 is a number plate 17 which has its vertical edges extended into slits 18 formed in the sleeve 12. The number plate bears a numeral which may be used to identify the fowl and to determine the length of time that the boot has been worn by the fowl. The thigh boot 1 and the shank boot 2 are provided wit-h cut-out portions 19 and 20 adjacent their meeting ends as indicated by Fig. 1 of the drawing. These cut-out por tions allow the joint of the fowl to be freely moved and the points or edges 21 and 22 which are formed at the termination of the cut-out p )rtions 19 and 20, are adapted to contact when the leg of the fowl has been bent to the predetermined point of movement, thus preventing the fowl from assuming a position that will allow it to set.7

When a fowl is inclined to brood or set, the device will be fixed upon the leg of the fowl or, if'it is thought desirable, one

may bel fixed to eachleg of the fowl. It is pointed out that the devicel will be especially useful in preventing the fowls from jump-- ing over fences, the boot preventing the legs of the fowl from being bent to assume springing position.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a very simple and durable fowl boot has been provided, the details of which embody the preferred form. I desire it to be understood however, that slight changes or modifications in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim:

l. In a device of this character comprising a shank boot, means for securing the shank boot to the leg of the fowl, and a thigh boot hingedly mounted on the upper end of said shank boot, said shank boot and said thigh boot each provided with a cut-out portion adjacent the meeting ends thereof whereby the said shank boot and said thigh boot will Contact at a pre-determined point of movement.

2. In a device of the character described comprising a shank boot, means for securing the shank boot to the leg of the fowl, a thigh boot hingedly mounted on the upper end of said shank boot,"said shank boot and said thigh boot each provided with a cut-out portion adjacent the meeting ends thereof whereby said shank boot and said thigh boot will contact at a pre-determined point of movement, and means for extending the length of said shank boot..

3. In a device of the character described comprising a shank boot, means for securing the shank boot to the leg of the fowl, a thigh boot hingedly mounted on the upper end of vboot will contact said shank boot, said shank boot and said thigh boot each provided with a cnt-ont portion adjacent the meeting ends thereof whereby the said shank boot and said thigh at a pre-determined point; of movement, and an extension sleeve mounted on the lower end of said shank boot and provided with a plurality of struck-out portions, the lower end of said shank boot also provided with struck-out portions adapted to register with one of the struck-out portions on said sleeve.

4l. In a device of the character described comprising a shank boot, means for securing the shank boot to the leg of the fowl, a thigh boot hingedly mounted on the upper end of said shank boot, said shank boot and said thigh boot each provided with a cut-out portion adjacent the meeting ends thereof whereby said shank boot and said thigh boot will Contact at a predetermined point of movement, an extension sleeve mounted on the lower end of said shank boot and provided with a plurality of struck-out portions, the lower end of said shank boot also provided with struck-out portions adapted to register with one of the struck-out portions on said sleeve, and fastening straps carried by the shank boot and the thigh boot whereby the boot may be fastened to the leg of the fowl.

5. In a device of the character described comprising a shank boot, a fastening element for securing the shank boot in position, a thigh boot hingedly mounted on the upper end of the shank boot, the said shank boot and the said thigh boot being provided with a cut-out portion adjacent their meeting ends wherebv the said boots will contact when pivotally moved at a pre-determined point for restricting the relative movement of the said boots, flanges carried by tho shank boot and adapted to embrace the corresponding portion of the thigh boot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MATHIAS G. MUELLER.

iVitnesses FRED WELCH, J. WI-IrrMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

